NAVIGATION 297 



superior to the best Pacific salmon, is plentiful along the eastern 

 side of the bay to the northward of James bay, as well as in the 

 mouths of the rivers of the northern and northwest coasts, and 

 also along both shores of the strait. Lake trout is a common 

 fish in these northern rivers and lakes. Cod have been taken in 

 several places along the east side of Hudson bay as far north as 

 Cape Smith; on the western side little is known of this fish 

 beyond the occurrence of a few in Roes Welcome, and some 

 small specimens taken among the ice at Fullerton. A cod 

 fishery has been carried on for a number of years at Cape 

 Chidley, and these fish are said to be plentiful along the east 

 side of Ungava bay, but do not appear to go farther westward 

 through the strait from the Atlantic. Cod are reported to be 

 abundant in some of the fiords of the south side of Frobisher bay. 



The forestry of the southern rivers is outside the scope of 

 this report, and it need only be mentioned that large areas of 

 pulpwood and merchantable spruce occur along the banks of 

 these streams, awaiting a suitable outlet to market by way of 

 Hudson bay and strait. 



These undeveloped resources of the north will no doubt when 

 developed add greatly to the annual shipping of Hudson bay, 

 but the main increase to the fleet will be due to the products of 

 the great plains of the Northwest, now rapidly filling with 

 robust settlers. These products of the western farms, grain, 

 butter, and cattle, will naturally seek the shortest road to the 

 European markets ; a road not only shorter, but owing to its 

 cool climate, capable of landing perishable products and grain 

 in a better condition than the more southern routes. 



Taking Regina as a convenient centre for these northwestern 

 farming lands, the distance from there by way of Prince Albert 

 to Churchill is about 800 miles, or the same distance as from 

 Regina to Fort William on Lake Superior, and a thousand miles 

 shorter than the distance from Regina to Montreal at the head 



